Censer



(No Model.)

' P. FRIEDRICH & A. KESSLEB.

GENSER.

No. 457,490. Patented Aug. 11, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT UFFICE.

PANCRATIUS FRIEDRICH AND ALOYSIUS KESSLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLTNOIS.

CENSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,490, dated August 11, 1891.

Serial No. 388,020. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PANCRATIUS FRIED- RICH and ALOYSIUS KESSLER, residing at Chicago, in the county of 'Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Censers, of which the following is hereby declared to be a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

The present invention has relation to improvements in censers such as are designed for church services. In this class of devices it has been heretofore customary to provide the body of the censer with suspension-chains, usually three in number, which pass through guidelugs formed at the edge of the cover of the censer, and connected to a common ring or like device at the outer ends, and it has also been customary to attach to the cover of the censer a lifting-chain extending therefrom to the common ring or support to which the upper ends of the suspension-chains were connected. A difficulty met with in the use of this common form of censer is that the suspension-chains and the lifting-chain, being connected to a common ring or support at their upper ends, are apt to become entangled, particularly when handled by the altarboys, and as a consequence the cover is apt to be lifted when the censer is swung, thereby permitting the fire to escape. Moreover, when the chains become entangled itis difficult to readily distinguish the lifting-chain from the suspension-chains, so as to permit the ready lifting of the cover when the incense is to be placed within the censer. In the use of censers it is customary for the priest to grasp the lifting-chains at a point a short distance above the top of the censer when swinging it, and unless the cover be closed when the censer is thus swung, there is danger of the fire falling therefrom, and with the construction of such devices as heretofore employed the chains were apt to become entangled in such manner as to prevent the ready lifting and closing of the cover.

The object of the present invention is to avoid the difficulties heretofore encountered; and to this end the invention consists in providing a holder that shall serve to prevent the entanglement of the chains and shall serve also as a guide for the lifting-chain.

The invention therefore resides inthe novel construction of holder hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A designates the body of the censer, and B denotes its cover, this body and cover being of any usual or suitable construction. To the body A is attached the usual lifting-chains a, that pass through perforated lugs 11 at the edges of the cover, these lifting-chains a being united at their upper ends to a common ring or other suspension device 0 in the usual manner. To the suspension-chains a. are attached at a short distance above the body of the censer, preferably about ten inches therefrom, a suitable holder D. This holder D may be in the form of a plate or in other con- Venient form, and may be attached to the chains Ct in any suitable manner. Through the holder D passes the lifting-chain E, that is attached to the cover B of the censer at one end, and at its opposite end is provided with a suitable ring or other form of stop 6. This lifting-chain E is preferably a short chain, as it is thereby much more readily distinguished from the suspension chains when the cover of the censer is to be lifted. Any other suitable form of holder D may be employed instead of the perforated .plate shown, so long as it serves to perform the functions of such plate.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the censer is grasped by the ball 0 above the'suspension-ring C, the holder D serves to retain the suspension-cords a separate from each other, and at such time the cover B will rest upon the body of the censer, the stop 6 of the lifting-chain E being at such time upon or adjacent to the holder or plate D. If, now, it is desired to lift the cover B, it is only necessary to grasp the stop or ring 6 of the lifting-chain E, whereby the raising of the cover can be readily effected. When the priest desires to grasp the liftingchains a at a point a short distance above the cover, the holder D, attached as it is to the lifting-chains, affords a secure means of re- 2. The combination, with the bodyof a censer, its cover, and suspension-chains, of a holder attached to said suspension-chains, a short lifting-chain attached to said cover and passing through the holder and provided with a stop at its upper end, substantially as described.

PANGRATIUS FRIEDRICH. ALOYSIUS KESSLER.

Witnesses:

I. B. CARPENTER, GEO. P. FISHER, Jr. 

